Final Game: Knight to Rook
by jrob
Summary: When Spike and the crew of the Bebop go after a notorious smuggler and pirate they have to go to the person who hates him the most...a woman and patron saint to those in servitude, The Rook. Can Spike really trust a woman who steals things for a living.
1. Time to Blow This Thing

Hi everyone, just wanted to say that I do not owm Cowboy Bebop, and the story is straight from my brain-Enjoy!

1.) Time to Blow This Thing

"This guy is really pissing me off Jet." Spike shouted into his communicator as he tailed the small yellow and black ship through the bustling city of Ganymede.

"Just keep on him Spike," Jet's voice, deep and gruff came out in a frantic urgent tone, "and don't cause any damage, it's the last thing we need."

Spike kept on Rodas Lubomir's tail as they wove their way around skyscrapers and high rises. Rodas had stolen millions of woolongs worth of illegal merchandise and proceeded to dent Spike's swordfish officially making his "_no good"_ list. It was then, when Spike's anger got the best of his emotions, that Lubomir took a sharp right, straight under a busy bridged intersection of the highway

"Shit!" Spike screamed as he followed as close as he could without getting himself killed.

"Be careful Spike!" Jet's voice interrupted Spike's train of thought.

Lubomir took another sharp turn and another and Spike barely kept up, _this guy is good_, Spike thought, _but not that good._ Spike cut his thrusters and took the turn in stride and then blasted past Lubomir's ship, catching a glace of him the driver's seat. For being a man in his late fifties and involved in syndicate crimes he looked well, tanned skin the color of caramel and his most known feature, his flaming crimson hair; but that was not what caught Spike's attention. In that mere instant that Spike had him in his sights a sly and menacing smile had crossed over Rodas Lubomir's face; he knew what Spike was going to do and that dawned on Spike at the very last minute.

An explosion rocked the Swordfish and Spike and sent him flying into a low-bearing structure. He came to rest on the top of a high rise and sent glass shards from the top floors flying everywhere. Defeat, and at something Spike took much pride in- his flying. Picking up the discarded communicator from the floor of the Swordfish, Spike sighed heavily.

"He got away."

"Nice going Lunkhead," Faye's was the first voice he heard, "that's my money you're letting _get_ away."

"Your money," Jet yelled, "where were you …"

Spike threw the communicator to official spot on the floor and hopped out of the ship. Pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, he sat on the edge looking out across the skyline. _That guy is good._ He looked behind him at his battered ship and calculated in his head the amount of woolongs it would take to repair and silently vowed that he would do one of two things upon seeing Rodas; seek retribution by getting the bounty or severely beat up his ship.

"Work you piece of shit!" Rodas slammed his fist into the ship's console as the screen filled with static. "Work!"

The screen cleared instantly upon the second beating and he could again make out the woman on the screen. Her gray hair was tried back tight and her green eyes were outlined by a pair of lightly framed glasses.

"Listen Rodas, I told you not to call here anymore. You cannot speak with Rook." Her voice was filled with ire.

"I need to Anya," Rodas pleaded, "It's important."

Anya shook her head fiercely. "No! The last time you were here you swindled the crew of every last woolong they had and then left Rook to pickup the pieces and get them to trust again. I won't let that happen this time."

Anya regained her control over her steadily rising voice and pushed up her glasses to the bridge of her nose.

"I knew Rook would recover, and I have all the money." He held up a duffle bag and motioned to it. "All in full, I promise."

Anya's eyes seemed to ease and she seemed to almost open up when she shook her head. "No Rodas."

She went to end the communication when Rodas stopped her.

"I'm in a lot of trouble and I need Rook's help. Where is the Viking now?"

She sighed, "I can't tell you that."

"Please, Anya. There is something in it for you if you help me." He held up a thousand woolong note.

"Bribing your ex-wife has to be wrong in some way, Rode." Her eyes went straight to the woolong and Rodas knew that he was getting somewhere. A battle fought out on her face as she struggled to come to a decision; finally she sighed heavily, "The ship is docked on Mars. Rook is staying at Jam's place."

A smile played at the corners of Rodas lips. "Thank you, Darlin'."


	2. Crooks In Every Corner

**So this really took me awhile to get up, when I first got the idea I knew just what was going to happen, and then I got new ideas and everything needed to be rethought. Thanks for you cooperation and enjoy. This one is pretty long! Read and review, please, criticism is always welcome.**

**Once again: I DO NOT OWN COWBOY BEBOP, NOR ITS CHARACTERS, but the new ones are mine-so enjoy!**

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2.) Crooks in Every Corner

There were some places in Mars that Spike really didn't like going to and the Outer Rim was one of them. It was a place where criminals and bounty-heads all congregated and hid, and as Spike knew when you are outnumbered like that it is never a good idea to go to such places. He'd been to places like this before and the memories were never good; memories of making raids on warehouses and killing dozens of people could never be considered fond memories; memories of Vicious, memories he tried desperately to rid himself of, were never good memories-not anymore.

Pushing those thoughts from his head Spike focused on his empty pocket and his growling stomach. He'd spent his last woolong fixing the Swordfish and was now starving. Ignoring his stomach he walked down the crowded market street keeping his eyes straight ahead but always on edge. People were buying and selling items, legal and illegal, children running around in the streets, and young women standing on the corner in skimpy black skirts and red heels. _Just as I expected it to be_, Spike thought, _nothing seems to have change_.

He continued to walk down the crowded street until he came to a dingy, rundown diner that had been converted into a bar years ago. It was called the Board and had an almost homey feeling as Spike looked at it. The placard out front was covered in a checkerboard print and hung from iron chains from a giant bishop chess piece on the roof of the building. Spike sighed and pushed open the grime covered door with his elbow and walked in. He was immediately immersed in loud music that sounded vaguely like heavy metal minus the comprehendible lyrics; screaming and loud was all Spike could really call it, and as he walked in even over the music the people got quite – a kind of quite that you could notice every time; silence was, after all, something you could hear. Eyes all turned his direction and hands all went for concealed weapons. Spike raised his hands up in a sort of "nothing to hide" way and most of the bar's customers went back to what they were doing, some stayed on guard – obviously recognizing him – and then there was her.

For a split second as his eyes roamed the dank diner, he saw this womanly figure completely ignore his entrance and not even once look up. She knew no fear, or had no bounty on her head. Sitting at the bar she had one leg crossed over the other and her arms were both resting on the bar counter. She wore loose clothes that did not hug her figure- comfort was the word to describe her, and her face was hidden in a shadow. Pike could not make out her features of her hair color as her head was covered in a colorful bandana whose ties came down her back. Spike lowered his arms and walked with his casual stride to the bar where he gracefully took a stool. Shooting a side glace at the woman he frowned; she was eating. Tons of food was set out in front of her and she did not look up from her feast. Spike's stomach growled rancorously as he watched her inhaling the food before her. Spike leaned in a little to get a whiff of the food when he noticed the monster at her feet; a giant red and white mastiff sat, haunches raised, between Spike and the woman and the dog obviously did not like the intrusion of his master's space. Smiling to the dog snidely, Spike backed up. The animal made another small attempt at a growl when his master's hand came down to pat his head.

"Hush Blitz." The woman said between two mouthfuls, never taking her eyes from her dishes.

Her voice, though muffled from the food, was almost like a song. It lilted even on such a short phrase. The bartender came and stood before him, a foreboding figure, if there were any, at a height of maybe seven feet. He looked down at Spike with a look that told him just how he felt.

"Whad'ya want?" his voice was much like sandpaper and the question sounded more like a demand rather than an actual inquiry into his drink selection.

Spike reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a photo. "Seen this guy?"

He placed the photo on the bar and slid it to the giant before him. The tender's eyes telescoped to mere slits and a snide smirk graced the features of his jaw.

"Even if I's did, I wouldn't tell yous." His thick drawl was as cold as ice but had the effect of a sunburn slap.

He left him then, moving away from Spike to a spot near the woman. Raising an eyebrow, Spike slid the picture back in front of him and looked down at the smirking face of Rodas Lubomir. Violently, he turned the picture over, slamming Rodas' face into the bar counter. The woman slowly looked to the man in front of her.

"Jem, your food is always so good." she said.

As Spike watched her eat, from the corner of his eyes, he felt many things. First and foremost was his own hunger and oddly enough the second was a strange comfortable feeling. He couldn't describe what is was or why it was that he was beginning to feel this, but the simple truth was he was offguard by it and he didn't really like that much. This woman was cool and calm, her mere demeanor showed that as she sat there engourging herself and being completely oblivious to him and everyone else. She ate eveything so slowly, as she sat there; she savored the food and made Spike want to hold her at gun point and make her watch as he ate food like that. His stomach growled quietly and his frown spread across his face. _Damn this woman_, Spike thought turning back to the picture's back on the bar counter. Once again he turned the picture over and glared at the face staring back.

"Cowboy, huh?"

Spike turned to the woman, smiling, and shifted to face her. _Grrrrrrrrrr._ The low growling of that beast was all too familiar to Spike and he backed up. He looked at the beast more closely and saw that he really was huge. All in all the mastiff came to the woman's hip as she sat in the bar stool that was at least three and a half feet from the ground and as it growled it slowly began to stand on all fours raising itself to a regal five feet tall (at least from Spike's point of view). Spike moved back to the safe distance he was at a few moments ago.

"Blitz!" the woman barked at the dog, "Go over and sit with Bear."

The dog looked at her for a few moments and did not move. The lady's eyebrows came together and she looked as if she were about to bite him.

"Go!" she pointed to a shadowy corner. The dog, Blitz, moved hesitantly at first until the woman gave him a forceful smack to the backside, and the dog took off across the room.

The woman motioned for Spike to move closer. She turned back to her food as Spike moved to the stool beside her's.

"So are you?" she asked.

"Am I what?"

"A cowboy?" she looked at him from the corner of her eyes as she picked up what looked to be half of a sandwich.

He simply nodded and reached into his pocket from a pack of cigarettes. He didn't want to look at this woman eating when his own stomach was twisting itself in and out of knots; he could do nothing about it until he caught Lubomir.

"You're brave." She took a bite of her victuals, casting him a sidelong glace, "Not many cowboys come to this part of Mars, and if they do they don't survive very long."

"I'm not like all the others." Sticking a cigarette in his mouth he squeezed his eyes shut. "Most bounty hunters do try to stay away from places like this."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Like _this?"_

"Every criminals hideout. They can gang up on a person." he opened his eyes and smiled, cigarette hanging from his lips. "Seems awfully unfair for a bunch of guys to have to fight me though."

She laughed loudly and shook her head. "God you are full of yourself, aren't you."

His smile widened at her laugh and he noticed the unease in the bar to grow as her laughter increased. People all around them were watching as they talked. Squeezing his eyes tightly shut again he wished his stomach's outbursts to silence. Their rumbles were becoming more and more noticeable and the last thing he needed to do was show he had a weakness, when he was already feeling vulernable, this early in the game. The clinking of a plate onto the counter was what made his eyes shoot open and his cigarette fall from his mouth. He looked down to see that she had placed a plate in front of him and it was covered in food. Sandwiches made with meats and fried potatoes. His gaze was loving and questioning all at once. _How long had it been since he had seen meat? Why was she doing this? Is she a goddess? It is poisoned? Why am I not eating?_

"Why aren't you eating?" her voice asked. "Scared I poisoned it?"

Spike said nothing, just looked at the food before him but he knew she was smiling. Testing him maybe? He kept his face as impassive as he could. He tried his best not to burst out in tears at the sheer delight of food. She had to be testing him, that's all that could explain this generosity she was showing him.

"Here I'll make it easier for you." She reached in front of him and grabbed a sandwich, lifted to her lips, and took a bite. "Mmmm…it's good."

She placed the sandwich back onto his plate; Spike's eyes remained on the sandwich. One second he was dumbfounded and the next he had grabbed the food so fast that she hardly saw the motion itself. He shoved two, maybe three, sandwiches in his mouth and began to chew with much enjoyment, savoring the taste of long forgotten, beloved food. The woman next to him was laughing to herself as she watched him eating and when he had finished he looked at her to see she had long since stopped eating and was pushing what was left of her food his way. He stopped and just looked at her.

Raising an eyebrow he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

She shrugged, "I noticed you were hungry the moment you walked in. My heart tends to bleed for the poor and downtrodden."

She said this so nonchalantly that she could have been taken for being sarcastic, but something about her made it seem true. He looked at her then in wonder; she was strange, different from everyone else that he met in places like these. He dropped the food onto the plate and wiped his hand on his jacket.

"I'm Spike. Spike Spiegel." He held out the hand in friendship.

Slowly she took the hand, "Karis."

He was amazed at her strength as her grip tightened to meet his. As Spike held her hand he notice the rough calluses that bridged her fingers and palm; she had nimble fingers and a strong hand. When he finally let go of her hand he smiled at her and returned to the food before him.

"Nice name." he said.

"Thanks," her expression was impassive, "You, too."

He slowly let go of her hand and she retracted it and positioned it under her chin to prop herself on the bar counter.

"So who is this you're looking for?" she reached over and grabbed the photo in front of him with her other hand.

"Lubomir," he swallowed a mouth full of food, "Has a bounty for robbery and trafficking, but it's more personal now."

"Really?"

He swallowed and grimmaced, "He made me wreck my ship."

She nodded as if she new what he was talking about and smiled .

"How much he worth?" she asked.

Spike turned to her and locked his gazed with hers. "Thirty million."

She whistled and looked harder at the picture. "Doesn't seem to look like one of those bounty heads that is worth all that. Looks like a small fry."

"He should be, but he's cunning." he sighed and muttered under his breath, "He bested me and my flying."

"What was that?" she almost laughed out loud.

"Like I said he made me wreck my ship after he bested my flying." he finally said after sighing heavily.

She laughed and placed the picture on the counter. She laughed as if she knew; a sort of laugh that was experienced and puzzled Spike. As her laughter dies down once again, the faces of the men in the bar stared at them. Some were continuing their games of billards and poker, but all eyes were flicking back to Karis and himself. He eased in to whisper to her.

"Are you with these men?"

She turned and eased in as well coming within inches of his face, "_They _are with me."

She pulled back and turned to face the men in the bar who automatically went about what they were doing and ignored Karis. She laughed under her breath and looked over her shoulder at the bartender.

"Give 'em some more drinks, Jem!" she said it loud enough so that the whole of the bar heard and many cheered and others blushed. She smiled and all the faces seemed to smile back, "They deserve them."

"No problem, Kare." Jem said going about getting more drinks from the countless men in the room.

She turned to Spike and motioned to the men in the room. "This is my crew."

"Your crew?"

Nodding she proffered her hand again. "Captain Karis Laron at your service."

She laughed and put her hand back on the counter. Spike could not believe this. First, this incredible woman gives him food, then she goes and has a room full of men, and big men at that, under her command. She grew more puzzeling as the moments wore on.

"So, what is it you do, Captain?" he asked.

She paused and thought, "It's-hard to explain. I'm in-human resource management and retrieval."

"And what is that?"

"Purchasing and distrubuting-stuff." She looked at him and shrugged, "It's kind of complicated."

"I can see that."

"I see you polished all of it off." she motioned to the empty plates before him.

He grinned and lifted his hands and placed them behind his head, stretching, "You now know my weakness."

There was silence then between them as she picked up her empty glass and watched the ice cubes gently glide around the bottom. Spike could not explain this woman, no matter how much he tried. She was compassionate, i.e. the food that she so willingly gave to him, and she had gained respect from the men in the room, which was proved in the way that they were constantly watching her back - why was that. If she were merely in shipping goods then she should really have no need to have so much protection and why would she come to this part of Mars if it was a place for crooks. It was resolved then, by Spike, that this woman was at least, perplexing. Her blazing green eyes gave nothing away about herself and her body language simply told him that she was relaxed and yet on guard. She was hiding something.

"You wouldn't happened to know of a Rook, would you?" Spike finally asked.

She looked at him over the rim of her glass, "You mean like a chess piece?"

"A smuggler." he pulled the picture of Lubomir out from underneath a plate and move it into view, "He's suppose to be related to this guy and is said to come here a lot."

"You sure you want to find these guys?" she questioned, "Sounds dangerous."

"I told you before, that I have a score to settle with Lubomir and if this guy Rook knows where I can find him, then I got no choice to find him, too."

"Now, how do you know that this _Rook_ knows where Rodas is?" she urged.

"Instinct."

She shook her head and turned back forward, almost angry. He watched her closely as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and closed her eyes. "Instinct will get you killed."

"I get that a lot," he grinned, "but I am still here after all these times I relied on it."

Her eyes were still closed and she began to rub her forehead. His grin vanished; she _was _hiding something. The way she was urging him to give up, the way she looked at him, and the way she looked at Rodas' picture..._Wait!_ his mind yelled, _Rodas_. He turned to speak when he notice a huge man between himself and Karis. He was glaring at Spike as he spoke to Karis.

"I think it's time that we left, Karis."

She continued to rub at her forehead with her eyes closed and nodded. "Yes, I think you're right."

She stood and dropped her arms to her side; the man still stood between them.

She looked at him then, "I'm sorry but it looks like I have to be going now."

"Too bad." he looked back at her telling her that he knew everything. "Thanks for the food."

A sad looked crossed her face as she picked up the bag next to the stool. She avoided his stares and whistled to Blitz. She did not leave though, her feet stood where she was.

"If I should need human resource management," he quirked his eyebrows, "I'll have to look you up."

"Forget Rodas, Spike!" she shouted. "He may have a hefty bounty but he's worthless; bad news."

He turned to face the bartender who stood before him and saw that he was glaring at him as well. He felt many eyes on him and imagined that the men in the room, her crew, were watching him.

"Afraid I can't do that." he muttered.

The bartender moved to the other end of the counter and Spike turned to face Karis. She was gone. In that moment it took him to register that she had slipped out, the diner was empty and the diner's door was swinging shut. He hadn't even heard them get up let alone leave at the same time. They altogether vanished. He ran to the door and burst out onto the street. In the dying glow of sunlight he saw nothing. The vendors and people were the same ones that were there when he entered the Board and there was no sign of Karis or her giant mastiff, Blitz.

"Dammit!" he cursed and ran to an alleyway entrance. "Damn."

Pulling the communicator from his pocket he turned to survey the street again.

"Hey Jet?" he spoke calmly.

Moments later Jet's voice answered back, "Yeah?"

With a smile Spike began to walk back to his ship, "Find me all you can on Karis Laron."

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**That's that, another chapter, and this one took a lot longer than I thought it would. I hope you like it and as always review it, please. I hope to get the next one up sooner that I did with this one. See ya next time!**


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